It’s a pity we didn’t get this 10-day dry spell in the middle of October. Over the Christmas/New Year period, we had just the odd patch of mist and drizzle but in the main, the place has dried up remarkably even though field drains are still running but water levels have dropped and land has firmed up.

I have been tempted to try ploughing some of the land we didn’t get to sow, but I am hoping with lengthening hours of daylight that conditions will continue to improve and that we can get the rest of the winter wheat and gluten free oats sown before the middle of February.

The mild, dry spell has worked wonders for the crops that were sown in less than ideal conditions. The fields have greened up and germination in the barley, wheat and oats is more even and consistent than I expected. The unsightly pools of water in some of the fields have all soaked away, but some small areas will not produce a crop in 2020.

The oilseed rape – a hybrid variety – is a dark, rich green and surprisingly squat on the ground, but with good cover.

A few pigeons have landed but we got a reasonable amount of shooting done over the holiday period and that seems to have scattered them away, at least for the moment.

On the cattle side, we are continuing to sell bulls as they become fit. The numbers are gradually declining and their replacement Friesian Angus and Hereford cross steers are now getting about 4lb of meal a day to keep them gaining weight, together with their hay and silage.

We will probably withdraw the meal about one month before they are due to go out on grass so that we get as much compensatory growth as possible. We will then assess progress and see what supplementation will be needed to finish them. At this stage, the mild weather has probably encouraged the lice so that is the only treatment that will get this side of turnout.

If this weather lasts, next week should see us begin slurry spreading, though it’s noticeable how the different types of land have dried out. Some of the vulnerable land has suffered as a result of later grazing in less than ideal conditions.

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